Chapter 29 #2
“Two soldiers I used to command,” Merrick muttered back. “I thought they might have grown up, but clearly not.”
“Nicol and Emret,” Merrick barked when there appeared to be no end to their bickering. “What do you want?”
Lessia’s elbow in his side was probably a warning to be nice, but she should know at this point the only person he’d ever be kind to was her, and he squeezed the hand he’d left resting under her ass until she huffed another laugh.
He wanted to smile again at the sound, but first, he needed to scare away the two bastards who somehow were brave enough to interrupt him.
“Did you not hear the orders I sent out? You’re to head to war,” Merrick said, letting his tone lower. “Or are you abandoning your people in a time of need?”
The two males went white.
“Well?” Merrick glared at them.
“Merrick,” Lessia whispered. “I think they are probably only here for a last night of fun.”
His eyes went to hers, and he could tell she was yet again holding back laughter, fighting to keep the serious expression she’d apparently decided was necessary before she took a sip of wine from the goblets before them.
How was it possible to fucking love her this much?
She knew exactly what he was doing, and she was playing along. He’d need to reward her later.
Her eyes flared as if she knew exactly what thought had floated through his mind, but then Emret finally found his voice again.
“We apologize, Commander Merrick. She is right. We… we were just hoping to get some drinks before we head to the port tomorrow. It’s been a while since we had some fun, and…”
“We heard Kerym is meeting us by the ships, and we could barely believe it! And then we saw you here,” Nicol added. “We haven’t seen you since… you know.”
Merrick’s teeth snapped together. He knew very well. They’d been in the room when he swore the blood oath to Rioner, both already tied to the king because of their strong water gifts.
Merrick’s eyes dropped to the faded tattoos on their arms at the same time Lessia’s did.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly, as if it was her damned place at all to apologize for what Rioner had put them through.
The males’ gazes moved to hers, and Merrick held Lessia closer when appreciation flickered in their brown eyes, but he took a breath to calm the possessiveness overtaking him when Emret responded, “I hear we have you to thank for being free.”
Lessia started shaking her head, and he couldn’t fucking have that. Merrick cast a look around the room, realizing many were studying them again, their curious gazes leaving him to whisper over his mate, and a slow smile pulled at his features as an idea formed in his mind.
The people in this town had hated Rioner. And while there had been a few thankful rebels and humans, most had shied away from Lessia after he’d brought her back from death with all the souls now connected to them. But these people wouldn’t care about that…
Merrick shot Lessia a smile, hoping she wouldn’t be too angry with him.
“She killed him, yes. She and no one else.” He raised his tone. “Elessia here killed Rioner and stepped away from the Rantzier name, even if her birthright to it would have placed her on the throne.”
“Merrick! Stop it,” Lessia hissed when the bar went quiet, but for the food being prepared in the kitchen sizzling over the fire.
Exactly like he’d known it would.
But stop? No… he didn’t think so. It was time this world knew what a fucking incredible person she was. It was time she stepped out of the shadows and claimed the honor she’d earned—the one she could have just taken by refusing Iviry the interim ruler position.
Lessia didn’t understand how fucking rare she was.
A drunk woman in the back broke the silence. “Is it true you brought the wyverns back and that you rode on one to kill the bastard?”
Lessia’s wide eyes moved the woman’s way when Merrick confirmed, “She did. She faced most of the Vastala fleet alone, riding across the Eiatis Sea to finally end Rioner’s cruel rule. She took a dagger to the chest for it. For all of you.”
He’d never before seen the deep crimson color on Lessia’s cheeks, and Merrick wondered for a second if he’d taken it too far when Nicol started clapping.
Then Emret followed. Then more and more until the entire bar stood up, their hands slamming together while a few whistled loudly.
And when it quieted, the conversations picking up again, the barkeep came up and mumbled that everything was on the house. He pressed a huge cup of wine into Lessia’s hands, which she downed immediately, although Merrick had a hunch that it wasn’t because it was free.
“I hate you,” Lessia mumbled under her breath as she finished, after several people had come by their table to offer her their personal thanks, saying how they’d wished they’d been there to witness it.
“That’s fine. I love you enough for the both of us,” Merrick responded. “Now it’s time for that dance.”
He sensed she was about to protest—dozens of people crowded the dance floor, some who kept throwing an eye their way—so with a final look at the two friends on the bench opposite them, who’d apparently moved on to drinking as much ale as they possibly could, Merrick swept Lessia up in his arms and carried her over to the floor as several people around them hooted and cheered.
Merrick didn’t give a shit if he scared people as he grinned at her. He kept her in his arms and swung her around to the building music, enjoying the drums that echoed in his bones and the accompanying laughter rumbling through him as Lessia just gaped.
“What are you doing?” Her arms tightened around his neck as he spun faster, a squeal leaving her when he dipped them, pretending to drop her. As if that were even a possibility.
“I am having fun.” Merrick pressed a kiss to her nose as he finally set her down, moving one arm around her back and the other grasping her hand firmly.
The music shifted, the instruments hammering a frantic rhythm while the singer lowered his voice into a deep note that vibrated through the floorboards beneath them. Spinning her around until her hair sparkled like golden fire around them, he chuckled again.
He was having fun. The people around them had stopped staring, too busy keeping up with the mounting whirlwind of notes.
He had time with this amazing female whom he loved so much, he’d do fucking anything for her.
And while she’d been embarrassed by his little outburst about what she’d done to the king, he’d felt it hit her.
The acceptance that wrapped around them from every person in this crowded room.
The acceptance of not only who Elessia was, but what she’d done.
Merrick dipped her again, not in a particularly elegant way—he hadn’t ever danced like this before—but it was good enough, he thought as she beamed at him. And when he pulled her up, he claimed her lips for a moment before allowing her to step back.
Lessia laughed then, and Merrick didn’t think he’d ever smiled as wide as when she jumped up on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and locking her arms around his neck while he continued spinning.
The crowd around them blurred.
There was only her.
Her white smile.
Her glittering golden eyes.
Her pale cheeks, which finally had some rosiness to them.
The adoration that seemed to keep both of them silent as no words could describe this moment—this… love.
His eyes asked her a question, and when she whispered “I’ll go anywhere with you,” Merrick spun toward the door.
After giving the barkeep far too many coins while keeping Elessia tethered to his body, he sneaked her out of the tavern down to the lake, where the moon and the stars played across the still surface.